Summer Burns, Winter Scars
by Black Dragon of the Bayou
Summary: AU Seto Kaiba seemingly has it all. A big inheritance, an athletic scholarship, and his choice of any woman on campus. But is he truly happy? SS, other pairings also.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is another attempt by me to mix in two elements, anime and sports. I know, some will argue that the two do not belong, but why not give it another shot? This one will be a little darker than heart of the hoops, and will contain only minor OCs who will have relatively little to do with the actual story. Some things I want to clear up before I get started.

**The Yamis and the Hikaris all have their own bodies.**

**This is definitely AU, as about as AU as things can get.**

**Mokuba is about 14 years of age, Rebecca about 15. Serenity is about 18. ****Mai's age will be closer to that of the rest of the cast, at about 22 years old.**

**Everyone else is aged between 19-21 years.**

You're still here? Well, I won't delay you with any more idle banter. Hope you enjoy the story.

_**Summer Burns, Winter Scars **_

**_Chapter One_**

Seto Kaiba walked into the locker room, his gym bag strapped comfortably across his shoulder. His cerulean eyes looked over the bulletin board, and he was instantly made aware of the task at hand. Life at Notre Dame University had its perks but it definitely had its share of pitfalls, including the school's expectations for its football program.

_2005 Notre Dame University Football Schedule _

**_Sept. 3: Wyoming_**

**_Sep. 15: Purdue_**

**_Sept. 30: Nebraska_**

_**Oct. 3: At Louisiana State**_

_**Oct. 15: At. Michigan**_

**_Oct. 21: Oklahoma State_**

_**Oct. 28: Pittsburg**_

_**Nov. 7: Navy**_

_**Nov. 13: At Tennessee **_

_**Nov. 21: Rutgers**_

_**Nov. 28: Boston College **_

_**Dec. 7: At Southern California**_

Yes indeed, life as a star football player was hard.

"Kaiba…ya here early."

The brunette whirled around to see one of his teammates standing behind him. The young man was several inches shorter than himself, and had tussled blonde hair. His dark brown eyes scanned over the board, and his face immediately turned into a frown. "Who schedules dis crap?"

"I don't know Wheeler. Why don't you make yourself useful and find out for us?"

Joey shot a death glare in the direction of his rival. The two came to the school in the same year to compete for the starting job at the quarterback position. Kaiba eventually won that battle, and the two did not get along very well by any means.

"Whaddya mean make myself useful?"

"Hmm...let's see. You don't understand, do you? Would it help if I went slower?"

The blond clenched his fists at his side, trying to hold back his temper. "You're pissin me off, Kaiba!"

Kaiba sneered at his teammate. "And that's supposed to scare me, puppy?"

The two continued to exchange words, and had it not been for one of their fellow teammates, they probably would have started to exchange fists.

"That's enough, you two. Coach has already had to kick five people off the team for senseless fighting already." The two rivals turned to see one of their other teammates, his arms folded across his chest. He wore black jeans with a tight-fitting black-T shirt, heat of the summer be damned. His hair was a spiked mess on his crown, comming in three different colors.

"Yami, dis moron Kaiba is makin' fun of me again!"

"If you weren't such a dimwit Wheeler, maybe you wouldn't be made fun of as much!"

Yami sighed. _Two-a-days (A/N 1) haven't even started yet and they're already at each other's throats._

**_About one hour later..._**

Most of the team had arrived for what would be the start of their brutal training for the upcomming season. Not only would they have to deal with the heat, they would have to deal with each other, screaming coaches, and a playbook that was so large it was divided into three parts for the benefit ofthe players.

"Hey Yami, had any luck with Ishizu yet?" A young man with a surprisingly slender build for a star athlete spoke, doing his best to arrange his jet black hair so that his helment would fit on his head.

"Um...well, you see..." Yami had started blushing at the mere mention of her name, and he knew that the egging would continue.

"Oh come on, Duke! Leave him be already!" Another teammate cried from across the room while he adjusted his thigh pads.

"Leave him be, my foot! He's been trying to hook up with her since we got here in the first place!"

"Um, there is a difference between trying to hook up with her and just admiring her beauty." Yami put in, his blush getting deeper.

"Come on, dude! Just grow as set and ask her out!"

"You ever think that he just doesn't want to ask her out, mate?"

"Keep out of this, Varon!"

The young man who spoke with a thick Austrailian accent smirked as he put on his football gear.

"Man, she is hot...but dat Mai...whoa!" Whistles and clapping could be heard as Joey pointed out another one of the school's dance team members.

"You're right bro, she is smokin'! And what about that Tea chick? How does that song go_? Her ass is a spaceship that I want to ride!" _

Seto sat by his locker, reading the team's lengthy playbook. He shook his head at the comments made by his teammates, and dismissed them as common horndog chatter.

The room once again erupted in applause and laughter as Tristan continued to sing the song he had mentioned. Everyone was loose, carefree, and eager to get practice going. Well...almost everyone.

"Hey Kaiba, ya gotta date afta practice?"

Kaiba looked up from the playbook he was reading and glared at his arch nemesis. "If I do, is it any of your damn buisness, Wheeler?"

"Oooh, touchy! C'mon Kaiba, we know if anybody around here is gettin' some ladies, it's gotta be you!" Tristan added.

"I don't have time to live out perverted fantasies...or spy on the girl's dorms."

"HEY! How many times da I gotta say dat we weren't spying, we were visitin!" The room again burst with laughter as Joey attempted to defend his actions.

Kaiba smirked at the remark. "Yeah, hiding in a tree near by the bathroom is a great way to visit someone, Wheeler."

Joey and Kaiba again exchanged some heated remarks and had to be restrained by their teammates once again.

"The Wheeler boy does have a point, Kaiba. I'm interested as to how many conquests you have claimed recently." This comment came from a pale-skinned boy sitting in the corner of the room, his snow white hair setting him apart from most of his peers.

"Quiet, Bakura. My lovelife is none of your damn buisness either."

The albino simply chuckled at the retort, and went back to his locker.

Truth be told, Seto Kaiba didn't really have that much of a lovelife. Not much of a social life either. He spent most of his time playing football and managing the rather large inheritance left to him by his stepfather. Any other time was spent on helping his younger brother Mokuba work his way through school and actually going to class himself. There was no time for women...especially the one he actually had his eyes on earlier that day...

**Hmmm...I wonder what the pairing is! Love it? Hate it? Think I should burn in the depths of hell for writing it? Let me know! If I get some encouraging reviews, I'll probably continue. Oh...for all you non-football experts, I can easily help you find a list of some of the rules, and I promise to do my best not to put in to many details about the game. Well... that's it.**

**A/N #1: Two a days means just what it says, a team practices twice a day. Usually those might be one in the morning and another in the evening. **

**See ya! **

**BDB...out**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **People actually read this? Wow…oh, I guess it's time to thank those of you who gave this fic a shot…

_**Shy and LeighC: **You two are the best, simply put. Thanks for reading._

_**Yami Evelyn: **Wow…you almost got all of the pairings right. I won't say the ones you got wrong though. Maybe I'll surprise you a little. Thanks for reading._

_**Chaos Magician Girl: **Hey! Nice of you to drop by! I understand how things can get sometimes, so there's no need to explain. Thanks for reading._

_**Lily: **You'll find out soon enough...thanks for reading._

_**Snowmouse: **Glad you like it...thanks for reading._

As I said last time, I'll do my best to write this fic so that people who don't know much about American Football will understand. Oh, and I realized that the fake schedule I put up only had ten games (most schools play eleven this year, discounting conference championships, bowl games, etc.) so I added two more. Enjoy the chapter, people!

Oh, all standard disclaimers apply. I don't own YGO, etc. etc.

**_Summer Burns, Winter Scars_**

**_Chapter Two_**

Kaiba went through the motions in this first summer practice. He already had memorized all the plays in the playbook, and knew exactly where every everyone was supposed to be. Well...at least on offense.

On the first scrimmage play of the first practice, Seto Kaiba was knocked to the ground. Hard. What appeared to be a flash of blue and gold had come at him from the defensive line, and poor Kaiba never had a chance.

"Good afternoon, Kaiba...how was your summer?"

Kaiba cursed silently to himself, and then spoke to his assailant. "Fine...now get the hell off of me Raphael."

The blond smirked and released his captive, allowing him to stand up once again. "Bobasa** (A/N 1) **has a lot to learn, doesn't he?"

Kaiba shot his attacker a glare of annoyance and went back to his side's huddle. He was trying to concentrate on the task at hand, but found it very difficult to concentrate with her still on his mind. He just couldn't let that memory of her go...

_Flashback, earlier that morning..._

It was basically a normal warm summer day in Indiana (**A/N 2) **as Seto Kaiba jogged on the streets of Notre Dame University. He did this early on in the morning, as to avoid frenzied fans, among other dangers. He was on his way by the music building on the campus when he had noticed that most of the members of the university's large pep band had arrived. Considering that many of the band members were ner, and the ones who had been around would be sure to tell the newbies that he wasn't one to be bothered while he was training, Kaiba considered it safe to take bit of a rest on the side of the building.

"Morning Yugi! Did you enjoy your summer vacation?" A young man with long, snow white hair and dark brown eyes was talking to another boy. His hair was a spiky, tri-colored mess, and his eyes were an odd shade of violet.

"Yeah, Grandpa and I were able to go to Europe for two weeks. Venice, Paris, Athens...that was the best time I've ever had! Hey, have you seen Serenity this morning?"

The ivory-haired boy frowned at the mention of that name. "No...I haven't seen her since our last performance last year."

Yugi frowned at this news. "Ryou...why don't you just tell her. EVERYONE in the band knows that you absolutely adore her. Tell her how you feel!"

Ryou blushed heavily, but still managed a response. "Just like you've told Tea how you felt?"

Yugi laughed nervously, knowing full well he hadn't even said a word to the brunette of his dreams. "Um...yeah. But my situation is a lot different from yours."

"And why is that, friend?"

"Well...Serenity knows you _exist_. Tea hasn't even spoken a word to me before. Heh, the only reason I know her name is because I heard one of her friends talking to her."

"Spying on women, that's low dude." Ryou and Yugi noticed that their friend (and section leader) had joined them in front of the building. His sandy-blonde hair came down to about shoulder level, and his bronze-colored skin was soaked with sweat.

"Malik...where have you been? You're a section leader for Christ's sake! You should have been here before any of us!" Yugi asked, a bit disappointed in his friend.

Malik smiled slyly, his lavender eyes twinlking. "It's a long story. Let's just say I was...preoccupied."

Both younger boys rolled their eyes. Malik had a notorious reputation for being one of the biggest so-called players on campus, Rules and Regulations be damned. Yugi and Ryou couldn't remember all the girls he had picked up during their road games, and was seriously hoping their friend protected himself during these constant encouters.

"No offense, but you 're always 'preoccupied'."

"None taken...where's Serenity? It's already twenty after six."

"We don't know, we were waiting on her too."

Having enough of the constant chatter of the students closeby, Kaiba decided it was time to resume his long jog. He stetched his muscles quickly, and set off down the sidewalk once again. Unfortunately, a young woman with brownish-red hair had just turned the corner and wasn't paying much attention to where she was going. She was running so fast, that she had slammed into the running Kaiba, sending them both to the ground with a thud.

**I guess I'll stop here. I had more planned, but a little suspense here and there never hurt anyone. Thanks to those who are reading, and I appreciate any reviews (except for senseless flames) and constructive criticism is encouraged. **

**A/N 1: Bobasa is a character from the Manga (not sure if he is in the Anime) who carries the Millenium Key. VERY large individual as well. **

**A/N 2: If you didn't pick up on it, this story is set on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Sorry if I didn't make that clear earlier. **

**The next chapter will be much, MUCH longer (around 2400, 3000 words I'm hoping.). I'm just pooped. Anyways, take care and leave a review on the way out, please?**

**BDB...out  
**  



	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I'm pleasantly surprised that people have actually found this fic interesting enough to read. To be honest, I though people would shy away from it because of the sport involved or the fact that it's set in an AU. I would just like to thank…

_**MewmiC ( hope this was fast enough of an update)**_

**_Morgaine of the Fairies (Thanks for giving it a shot, I hope you enjoy the rest of it)_**

_**Tawny-Kit (no need to apologize, and I'll let people know what happened with Gozaburo as the story progresses)**_

_**Yami Evelyn (don't worry…Seto/Serenity action is on the way)**_

_**Shy and LeighC (thanks for the encouragement, I can't wait to read more of Shy's work!)**_

_**Yuka Kitsune (I hope you enjoy this chapter too)**_

_**Komo Pineconeseed (yeah…Believe it or not, I think Kaiba is probably the best candidate to be the 'prototypical' quarterback in the YGO cast. good Height, about the right size body type wise, and pretty smart…though I do agree the sight of him in a football uniform would be rather funny)**_

**_Special thanks to those of you who have put me in your C2 Communities, Author Alerts, etc. I appreciate it a bunch. _**

If I happened to miss your name, I apologize in advance. Now...on with the story!

**_Summer Burns, Winter Scars_**

**_Chapter Three_**

Serenity yelled a loud curse as she fell to the hard concrete sidewalk. She hurriedly picked up her sheet music and clairnet, scrambling to reorganize everything she had dropped.

"I'm so, so sorry! I'm in a hurry to get to practice and-" Serenity's face froze as she looked over at exactly who it was she had run over. His blue jogging pants with the white stripes down the side, his tight-fitting white muscle shirt with the letters 'ND' written on them. His rich, medium length brown hair was a mess, and his royal blue eyes burn with an intensity she had never seen before.

"Um...Seto, is it? I'm really, really sorry for-"

"Don't call me that."

Serenity blinked. What was the problem? She was certain that his name was Seto Kaiba, star quarterback for the Notre Dame "Fighting Irish" footballteam.She had heard her brother complaining so much about Kaiba playing ahead of him that she almost felt like she knew him to an extent.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't call me Seto. Only my family calls me that, and no one that is related to me can be as dimwitted and careless as you are."

Serenity blinked again. She could only keep eye contact for about a second more before standing up. Those eyes were beautiful yet so dangerous to her, piercing her, gazing into her very soul...she had to get up and get the hell out of there!

"Sorry to interrupt your running, but I've got to go."

With that, Serenity grabbed the rest of her things and ran away. It was Kaiba's turn to blink now. For the first time since he had arrived on campus three years ago (he's in his second year of football) someone that he had insulted did not challenge him loudly in front of the entire student body or go running off to cry in the arms of a simpleton friend.

_Who the hell was that?_

_(END OF FLASBACK)_

Kaiba was practicing his throwing motions, aruguably the worst time of practice for him. It wasn't necessarily that he had problems throwing the ball (he held National records in high school for most passing completions, scores and yardage) but rather the person he would be standing beside durning these drills.

"Kaiba...you goin soft? This is da worst I've seen ya since dat bowl game we lost two years ago."

"First off, Mr. Mediocrity, my WORST could easily beat you at your best on any day. Secondly...I've told you never to bring that game up again."

Joey shrugged. "Don't see da harm in it. It's over wit now...62-0. Dat was a tough one ta swallow."

Kaiba was becomming more and more annoyed with this puppy. If the game was in the past, why the hell did he have to bring it up so much?

"Wheeler...go find your muzzle, play fetch with Yami, do SOMETHING else besides talk about that game."

Joey's ball fell to the ground, his good nature seemingly gone. "And what are ya gonna do if I don't?"

"Why don't you use that peanut you call a brain and imagine..."

The two rivals were inches apart before Duke, Yami, and Tristan among others broke them up.

"LEMME AT 'EM! I'LL WIPE DAT SMIRK RIGHT OFF IS FACE!"

"NOT EVEN IN YOUR DREAMS COULD YOU EVER BEAT ME AT ANYTHING, GOT THAT YOU FLEA- INFESTED HYENA?"

On the other side of the field, the head coach was working with one of the most important players on his team, kicker Mako Tsunami. The coach, who stood about 5'11'', had a light brown skin tone and curly black hair underneath a green visor. His eyes, a calm shade of green, looked over at the situation between his players and simply went on coaching.

"You've been working on your form I see, Mako. What was your long this summer?"

"Forty-five yards, sir."

"Hmmm...you think we can get that up a little bit more, to about fifty maybe? I might need you to come through in the clutch more than once."

"Aye, sir, I'll do my best."

"Good...go practice your punting." (A/N 1)

Mako did as he was instructed, heading off to another side of the field.

The coach wearily made his way over to the congestion of players and laughed a little. Partly because he thought it was actually humerous, partly because frankly he didn't know what else to do besides knocking them both out.

"You two at each other's throats again?"

"Blue-eyed show-off!"

"Blonde-haired jackass!"

"ENOUGH!"

Both boys looked over at their coach, who had went from slightly amused to extremely pissed in less than sixty seconds. "Now...Keith? Where's my favorite defensive end?"

A blonde with an American Flag bandanaon his head ran over to his coach. "Yeah Coach Weatherbie?"

"Set up the cones."

Keith blinked in curiousity. "For who?"

"Kaiba and Joeseph. They need to relieve a bit of this tension they seem to have between the two of them."

Keith laughed a bit, and went to go set up the cones as instructed.

"Coach, with all due respect, that's just gross! Anything that they need to settle in their relationship, they can do it in the privacy of their own apartments!"

This comment, from a Tristan Taylor, drew a death glare from Kaiba, a rather obscene gesture from Joey, and a few laughs from some of the other teammates around.

"Tristan?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Shut up and go run a mile."

"But..."

"GO!"

Tristan, seeing no point in arguing, started running around the field as he was told.

"Now...very simple boys. 40 yard race. The first to cross the finish line doesn't have to run speed drills today. The loser does extras the rest of the week. Got it?"

Joey nodded his head. "Yeah, I got it."

Kaiba nodded as well. "Wheeler, do you wish to be embarrased in front of the entire team...again?"

Before Joey could say something REALLY nasty, Keith yelled something about everything was ready to go. The two young men lined up next to each other, not speaking or even acknowledging the other's existence. Each had his own set of backers cheering for him, granted Kaiba's was MUCH smaller.

"C'MON KAIBA, THAT MUTT'S SLOWER THAN MOLASSES, MATE!"

Joey looked up momentarily from his position on the starting line to see his heckler, Varon.

"Ass..." Joey muttered quietly.

"ON YOUR MARK!"

The two braced themselves.

"SET!"

Only a second more of waiting...

"GO!"

The race got off to a surprising start with Joey taking a lead. But the faster he ran, the closer he felt Kaiba behind him. Even when he ran at full speed, he could not catch up with the leaner, faster brunette. Kaiba passed the finish line with about 5 feet to spare, a smug smile on his lips.

When Joey crossed the line, he shouted a string of obcenities this author won't bother to repeat and fell to the ground.

_I can't believe dat Kaiba showed me up AGAIN! DAMN!_

"Wheeler...it fits your personality to crawl on the ground...enjoy your extra drills."

With that, Kaiba walked off to complete his passing drills as Yami and Tristan tried to help up their friend.

_About 30 mins. later..._

The group had gathered around their head coach, their practice finished. Before he let them hit the showers, he had something that he wanted to say.

"I need somebody that can read to answer this...what does that sign say out of our locker room?" (A/N 2)

A boy with spiky, sandy white hair and a brown complexion raised his hand in a mocking fashion. "Oh! I know, I know!"

The coach rolled his eyes, knowing he would regret letting the young man speak. "What Marik?"

"JOEY IS THE KING OF THE DUMBASSES!"

The coach sighed deeply as Joey was restrained by teammates, shouting threats of violence as they kept him from attacking. "Okay...anyone else care to try?"

Yami raised his hand. "Play like a champion today."

"Yes...for a long time, you boys have not played like champions. You've bickered among yourselves, with the school, even with me. I'm going to be straight with you: If we don't do something special this year, I probably won't be back next year. In then end though, answer me this: Who will feel more shame, the man who gave everything he had into a program, or the people who let him and themselves down?"

The boys looked around, some slightly ashamed, others dismissing his speech as BS.

"We play Wyoming in three weeks. We'll be ready to play, I think. But...will you be ready to win? Will you be ready play like a champion on that day? Now I'm not going to fill your head with talk of a National Title, this is Notre Dame after all. (A/N 3)Enough people are around to do that without my help.All I can hope for is that you men play like champions. If you do that, win or lose I'll be proud. See you all at six."

_Meanwhile..._

_Campus Cafeteria_

Malik, Ryou, Yugi and Serenity were all sitting down eating lunch together. They had endured another practice under their oddball conductor, Pegasus J. Crawford.

"What the hell kind of a name is Pegasus anyway?" Malik asked as he dug through something that looked like beef stroganoff.

Yugi shrugged, about as confused as his section leader was. "Maybe his parents were into mythology or something?"

"Yeah, at least it's not as bad as someone naming their child Anakin Walker or something like that...Star Wars geeks."

Serenity nearly jumped out of her seat. "HEY! I'm one of those Star Wars geeks you're talking about, idiot!"

"Calm down, geesh! I was kidding!"

Serenity shot a glare in his direction. "You better be!"

Yugi and Ryou laughed a little as the redhead returned to her seat.

"Yugi, where are you going after we're finished here?"

"I'm not sure...maybe the arcade?"

Serenity shook her head at the idea. "I'm not going there until the fix the Tekken (A/N: Tekken is the property of Namco, therefore not mine) machine. The left joystick broke off the thing for crying out loud!"

Ryou muffled a giggle. "Only because you pulled on it so hard."

"Hey, there's a party over there on the West Side tonight. Near the football guy dorms. All the hottest hotties will be there, INCLUDING yours truly."

Ryou, Serenity and Yugi collectively rolled their eyes.

"I hear Tea will be there...YUGI!"

Yugi's face turned a fierce shade of red as Serenity and Ryou laughed. "I don't know what your laughing for Ryou, YOUR crush is going to be there, too!"

Ryou suddenly stopped laughing and joined Yugi in a feeble attempt to hide their blushing faces. "Oh, Serenity...your new friend will be there too, you know?"

"And who is this new friend, smartass?"

Malik grinned as he leaned in and whispered the name in her ear.

"Seto Kaiba."

**Yes...not as long as I said, but I hope it was good enough for your tastes anyways. **

**A/N 1: Punting is the act of kicking the ball away after failing to advance the ball at least ten yards in three plays. Confusing? I'll try to explain rules and such as the fic progresses. (or you can e-mail me with questions, whichever is easier)**

**A/N 2: Notre Dame does indeed have a sign posted outside the locker room door saying "Play LikeA Champion Today" I'm not sure who put it then or when it was put there, but school tradition dictates that every player touches the sign as they head out of the locker room before and during the game for good luck. Many other schools have similar traditions.**

**A/N 3: Notre Dame is one of the most successful College Football schools in American History, winning somewhere between 12 and 14 national titles. Why the uncertainty on the number? For starters, there is no REAL playoff system in place. Secondly, these records go back to the late 1800s, so some people have conflicting records of what happened. **

**Hope that wasn't too much information to try to digest. Please leave a review on the way out, eh? Oh, if you ever get bored, I do have some other fics to check out. Who knows, you may find something you like! Well, later people! Have a safe and happy Fourth of July, and take a moment to remember why we celebrate it, aight?**

**BDB...out**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Hello, readers. Just a quick thank you to everyone who has read so far to start things off:

_**Tawny Kit: Thanks for pointing out the error…I think FF accidentally bunches words together after you upload for some reason. Oh, I went to Louisiana State actually, for two years. I'll be going to one of the so-called satellite schools (LSU at Alexandria) for a while until I decide on what I want to do career-wise and get my grades up. Notre Dame has always held a special place in my heart football-wise because when I was younger they were the only college team I could watch on a regular basis. I learned a lot about their traditions and about college football in general, so I guess that explains that. Thanks for reading.**_

_**Shy and LeighC: Thanks so much for your support, not only in reading this fic but also in other things (you know what I'm talking about )**_

_**Lilxangelxsweetz: I have good news…. seto/serenity will officially be a pairing in this fic! Enjoy!**_

_**Komo Pineconeseed: You have an interesting name…. do you mind telling me how you came up with it? Thanks for reading.**_

**_Chaos Magician Girl: Ooops…that little bit about the 4th of July was for my American friends/readers, but thanks for the well wishes. I actually like the Ryou/Serenity pairing as well. How much? Well…. Thanks for reading._**

**Before I continue, I want to talk about one of the things that make this game I love special…rivalries. Some go by cool nicknames, like Clean Old-Fashioned Hate (Georgia/Georgia Tech), The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Florida/Georgia), or The Battle for the Tiger Rag (LSU/Tulane). Some play for cool trophies, like oil paintings, wooden statues, axes, old brass spittoons, little brown jugs, jeweled shillelaghs, even cannons and victory bells! For some, a win in a game against their rival can bring a sweet end to an otherwise bitter season. For others, beating their rival is the perfect way to prep them for National Championship contention. I don't know…maybe it's the thought that these traditions and rivalries have lasted so long that makes them special…enjoy the chapter, OK?**

**_Summer Burns, Winter Scars_**

**_Chapter Four_**

**Notre Dame Football Scouting Report!**

**2005 Edition**

**By: Mick Zabransky**

_For three years, Bobby Weatherbie has preached about restoring the glory to the once-proud Fighting Irish football program. For three years, he hasn't been able to live up to that promise. In order for him to keep his job, his team will have to succeed. This year, only results will be enough to appease the faithful. And by results, we mean BCS Bid (A/N 1)_

**_Offense Grade: A-_**

_Three years ago, there were whispers of Heisman Trophy (A/N 2)potential for Seto Kaiba. If he is ever going to live up to that bill, this is the year. He has a solid offensive live to protect him, as three of five starters return. Fullback workhorse Tristan Taylor will see plenty of action, but don't be surprised if freshman Donnie "Bookworm" Ainsley gets a healthy number of carries this season. Kaiba also has serveral wide recievers to throw the ball to in All-American candidates Yami Atemu and Duke Devlin. Tight end Shadi also gives him another option to throw the ball to in this suddenly pass-oriented offense. If Kaiba can't live up to the hype, then expect undersized sophomore Joey Wheeler to take over._

**_Defense Grade: A+_**

_This unit is scary. Led by the front four, this group is chock full of future pro players. "Bandit" Keith Howard anchors the front, with his good buddies Raphael Rosso and the super-nasty Cory "Player-Killer" Davis by his side. They should have no trouble stopping the run. The only real weakness is at linebacker, where only Bakura returns in the starting four. The secondary is loaded, led by redshirt (A/N3)sophomore cornerback Varon and strong safety (and back-up Quarterback) Joey Wheeler. This unit may not give up more than 14 points a game all season._

_**Special Teams Grade: A**_

_Mako Tsunami will handle both kicks and punts this season. The only worry the Irish have will be that he struggles in crunch-time situations. In his three opportunities last season to either tie or win a game last season, he only made one. Speedster Duke Devlin will handle kick returns and punt returns, where he will try to add to his 10 returns for touchdowns from a year ago._

_**The Verdict:**_

_Can Seto Kaiba finally take his place as one of college football's elite quarterbacks? If not, can Joey Wheeler and the defense pick up the slack? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, expect a nine or 10 win season for the Irish._

Coach Weatherbie put down the media guide in disgust. He had won 20 games in three years,gone to threeconsecutivebowl games (A/N 4)and he wasn't living up to expectations? Notre Dame was a strange place indeed.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was trying. He really was. He tried not to think of that game that was supposed to be the turning point of his football career. He tried not to dwell on one of the few things in life that he had actually failed to achieve. Try as he may, however, he couldn't forget.

**_December 31, 2003_**

**_Liberty Bowl _**

**_Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Fresno State (10-2) (A/N 5)_**

**Seto Kaiba sat on the bench, his medium-lenghth brown hair drenced in sweat. He was ashamed...this wasn't his team's failure. It was his. He couldn't pass. He couldn't run. He couldn't even remember the plays he was told to run. The defense confused him to death. It was like he was drowning in quicksand; the more he fought, the worse off he became.**

**_B-U-L-L-D-O-G-S...Go 'Dogs, GO! Fight 'Dogs Fight, Gooooooo 'DOGS!_**

**He wanted to kill whoever came up with that stupid chant. Seriously. Never before in his entire life had he heard anything more lame. As he saw that there was less than a minute left to play, he heard their cheers become louder. Some players had come over to speak to him, but after a few stern words they all backed away. As time finally expired and came to 0:00, Seto looked up at the scoreboard and saw the mark of shame that he would bear for the rest of his life.**

**Bulldogs: 62**

**Irish: 0**

**_(End of Flashback)_**

"That's it! See you all tomorrow!"

As most of the other players hurried as quickly to the showers as they could, Kaiba remained on the field fora while longer. He stood at midfield, holding his helmet. Looking up for a moment, he saw the banners of all the national championships won by those before him. How dare they force him to live up to that? That wasn't what he wanted! He didn't ask for this spotlight, he didn't ask for the hopes and dreams of an entire campus to be put on his back. He threw his helmet down in anger and romped off the field, his little brother in the distance watching his anger simmer.

* * *

"DO NOT!"

"DO TOO!"

"DO NOT!"

"DO TOO!"

Yugi and Ryou looked on as Serenity and Malik continued arguing, shaking their heads.

"You do like him, Serenity! You blush everytime I mention his name!"

"No, I don't!" Her brown eyes defiant, Serenity folded her arms across her chest.

Malik grinned slyly. "SETO KAIBA!"

Like clockwork, Serenity's face turned a slight shade of red. "See, I told ya!"

Serenity muttered a curse under her breath as she tried to hide her face. "I'll tell ya what...why don't you let me make you over for tonight's party?"

Serenity looked over at the Egyptian as if he had suggested to have her tarred and feathered in the public square. "Huh?"

"Let me make you over. I didn't stutter. Meet me at my apartment in two hours, and I'll make sure all those guys are drooling over you. I'll turn you into a goddess."

"But..."

"Then it's settled!" Malik got up from the table with a sinister grin on his face as he strolled out of the cafeteria.

Yugi and Ryou were bordering on laughter, but one death glare from Serenity stopped that before it got started.

Notre Dame was a strange place indeed.

**_Next Chapter: Serenity gives Malik a license to make her over. Will the results be diastrous, or will Malik make good on his promise? Also, summer practice for both band and football continue, but how will they act when they are all on the same field-with the cheerleaders? Find out next time..._**

**A/N 1: Bowl Championship Series...more on that later.**

**A/N 2: Heisman Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the United States every year. This award has been dominated byquarterbacks and running backs.**

**A/N 3: Redshirt. Usually, a school will give some players a redshirt year as they either get caught up academically or prepare themselves for the next season. This basically adds up to five years on the campus, four of actually playing football. If one is injured, they can apply for a medical redshirt. Those who play in their first year on campus are called "true freshmen".**

**A/N 4: Bowl games are post-season games that are usually played in late December-early January. More on these later.**

**A/N 5: (wins-losses)**

**Sorry if the chapter sucked, this was more of an "informational" chapter than anything else. Well, review and I'll give you a better chapter. I promise I won't disappoint! Lata!**

**BDB...out**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Hello all. Many, many thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter, in particular:

**_Komo Pineconeseed: Very interesting. Unfortunately, I've only seen a handful of Rurouni Kenshin episodes, so I don't recall the character you're talking about. The explanation how my name originated is a little more obvious I guess: My favorite monster from Yu-gi-oh is the Red Eyes Black Dragon. My home state, Louisiana, is known to most for swamps, bayous, and the various diversions of the city of New Orleans. I just decided to kind of cram it all together, and thats how Black Dragon of the Bayou was born. Thanks for reading, by the way._**

**_TawnyKit: Thanks for the compliments. I tried similar ways of introducing teams and such in one of my other fics, and it worked fairly well. You'll probably see that method to introduce ND's rivals for the upcoming season. Hope you enjoy!_**

**_Stephanie: I will keep going and I hope you enjoy the result._**

**_Lilangelsweetz: Well, there is the possibility Malik could be bisexual...just kidding. Anyway, enjoy the update._**

**_Shy and LeighC: You know I always enjoy hearing from you two...thanks for reading!_**

**_Aliccia: I'm happy you enjoyed it so much...hope this update was quick enough._**

**_ChaosMagicianGirl (aka CMG): Yeah, I know what ya mean. This is going to be pretty fun, at least I think so. I hope you enjoy it._**

**_Snow Mouse: Fear not...I'll write this fic so that even the football-impaired can understand. I'm pretty sure that most of my audience knows very little about football, so I'm not going to confuse them to death. Sorry for the characters being a little OOC...if you read some of my other fics, you'll notice that's one of my "calling cards". It's just something I do to stir the soul and get people to thinking: "WOW, So-and-so did THAT?" So please, don't take it to heart. And thanks for reading._**

**_Hakiruro: I will keep going, and I hope you're pleased with the results._**

Well, if I missed anyone, I apologize. Now on with the fic!

**_Summer Burns, Winter Scars_**

**_Chapter 5_**

Kaiba and his little brother rode in silence, the limosine creeping closer to the appartment they shared with some of Seto's teammates.

Mokuba was reading a football magazine and was trying to muffle fits of laughter. Seto glanced over in his direction, and Mokuba stopped.

"What are you reading?"

"Oh...nothing really. Just an article about your coach and some things he's said."

The magazine was snatched by the elder Kaiba in a blink of an eye. "Hey! Give that back Seto!"

Kaiba grunted as his eyes scanned the page. It was mostly a biography page about his coach, mainly about where he was from (Little Rock, Arkansas by way of Lafayette, Louisiana), where he played his college ball (Louisiana-Monroe) and where he had coached as an assistant before he came to Notre Dame (Texas-El Paso, Grambling St., Arkansas). What caught Seto's cold blue eyes, however, were a series of quotes put in their own seperate box:

**_Bobby Weatherbie's Greatest Quotes_**

**_Here are some of the quotes from the "Ragin' Cajun", one of the most opinionated football coaches ever to walk a sideline, and he's only forty years old..._**

**_"Write this down...I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE WHOLE STATE OF MICHIGAN! Happy that you have something to print now?" Oct. 10, 2004..two days before ND beat Michigan 21-20_**

**_"You can't win three of four and call it a rivalry." When asked if the Notre Dame/Stanford rivalry was dead._**

**_"I tell you, if either one of our quarterbacks came out here and played the way they fight each other in practice, we'd win every damn game we play." When asked about his quarterbacks, Joey Wheeler and Seto Kaiba._**

**_"We suck. We couldn't run, we couldn't pass, hell we couldn't play defense. We just got our candy asses kicked, plain and simple." When asked about Fresno State's 62-0 win over ND._**

**_"Oh, yeah? Well the only Longhorns in Texas are the ones Oklahoma has been shoving up your collective ass for the last five years!" Respone to a Texas fan's rather rude remarks about his upbringing in Little Rock and his coaching career. Texas has dropped five straight contests to it's Archrival Oklahoma._**

**_"It's a damn shame. I went to ULM, but I grew up raised to cheer for Arkansas and absolutely HATE Texas. It's a little sad to see that rivalry fall by the wayside..." When asked about the Arkansas/Texas rivalry being discontinued._**

**_"We're not afraid of the USC Condoms!" opening line of his first press conference as head coach. (he is 0-3 all-time against the USC Trojans)_**

**_"That senile old bastard can go to hell..." When asked about his relationship with his estranged father (and former coach in college), David Weatherbie_**

Kaiba threw the magazine back to his brother with a snort. "Rubbish..."

* * *

Ryou and Yugi had made their way to Malik's appartment, unsure of exactly what awaited them. When they knocked on the door, they opened it to see a rather stressed out Malik in a grey dress shirt and black slacks. 

"Malik...you don't look well." Ryou commented.

"Ryou, if you had to go through the hell I had just gone through to make over this girl, you'd be tired too."

Yugi and Ryou glanced at each other, both curious to see the results. "Well..where is she?"

"HEY SERENITY, COME ON OUT!"

As the door opened, Malik decided to praise himself for his work. "Behold, gentlemen. Only I could transform the average girl into a grade-A, five-star, thirty-two-flavors of HOTT _uber-babe_!"

When Serenity's slim figure appeared through the bathroom door, Yugi and Ryou just stood there with their mouths agape. For once, Malik backed his up his talk with action.

* * *

Joey had a video of game film going in his bedroom of the apartment he and his sister shared. He knew she would probably be out most of the night, but knew her friends Yugi and Ryou fairly well and trusted them with her safety. As the game film entered the final moments, a sick feeling began to creep into the blonde's stomack... 

**_Flashback:_**

**_2004 Cotton Bowl Classic, Dallas, Texas_**

**_Notre Dame (7-4) vs. Jump City University (8-3)_**

**_(note, this flashback is from the perspective of Jump City's play-by-play announcer)_**

_"Three seconds to go in the ball game, Jump City has the ball on the Notre Dame five yard line...the Titans need a touchdown to win. Grayson line ups in shotgun (A-1), two wide recievers to his far right, two to his far left, and a running back beside him...the snap...Grayson rolls to his right...looks to throw but can't...rolls back to his left...throws...looking for Logan in the corner of the endzone...CAUGHT! THE REFEREES GATHER IN THE BACK OF THE END ZONE...YES! THEY RULE IT A TOUCHDOWN! TITANS WIN! Richard Grayson to Garfield Logan in the back of the endzone, and the Titans beat Notre Dame 44-42!"_

_Half of the stadium erupted in absolute euphoria, while the other side sat quietly, stunned into silence. As Joey and his teammates left the stadium that day, they could hear the Jump City band playing the school's fight song, with the football team leading the students and fans..._

**_Fight on, you Mighty, MightyTitans!_**

**_You represent the Black and Gold!_**

**_There are so many other colors_**

**_but these we proudlyfight to hold_**

**_So Titans young and old shall wear them_**

**_As you men promise not to fold..._**

**_There are no colors like the black and gold!_**

**_You take your burnt-up Texas orange_**

**_Your Bama Red and Navy Blue_**

**_We'll take our dear ole black and gold sir!_**

**_For us they're royal tried and true!_**

**_So Titans young and old shall wear them_**

**_as you men promise not to fold_**

**_Fight onward Mighty Titans, win the day! JCU!_**

Joey turned off the tape in disgust. How could he let them down that way? How did his man get open and cost everybody the victory they had bleed and beaten themselves senseless for? His mind was taken from these bitter thoughts by the ring of a telephone.

"Hey, dude. It's Tristan...a party's going on over on the other side. You commin' or what man?"

Joey nodded, even though he was on the phone. "Yeah...gimme a few minutes."

* * *

Mai, Ishizu and Tea were fixing their clothes and makeup before heading out to the big party down the street from their shared apartment.

"Hmmmm...girls, I propose a friendly wager." Mai asked as she finished applying her mascara.

Tea rolled her eyes. "Uh-oh...what is it this time?"

"Let see how many guys ask for our number. Last place buys lunch all week!" Mai giggled, as did Ishizu. Tea, however, had her hands on her hips clearly not amused.

"WE DID THAT LAST YEAR!"

Mai shot her a sly smile. "You're still mad because you lost, sugar?"

Tea grumbled something under her breath and turned away. "Whatever."

Ishizu reverted to her usual role as group peacekeeper. "Easy you two, it's another year, and I'm sure many,many guys are interested in you Tea. You just have to be a little less intimidating."

Tea balked. "ME? Intimidating? How?"

"Well for starters, sweetie, you could stop trying to get a guy to commit on a first date. You've run off about 10 boys in two years with that nonsense." Mai said as she adjusted her low rise jeans.

"So..commitment makes me confortable. If they can't stand it, too bad." Tea shrugged off the criticism as if it were a cobweb or something.

"Let's not have any of that fighting tonight." Ishizu said, considering the issue closed.

Tonight would be a fun night for them all. At least that's what they hoped anyway.

**_A/N 1: Shotgun is when the quarterback lines up about five yards behind his center, and the center snaps the ball to the quarterback. Sounds strange, but it can help the quarterback get rid of the ball faster without having to drop back to look at what's going on with a defense._**

**_Well, all of the main players are about to be assembled on stage, and very soon our little comedic drama will begin. Next chapter, the party I'm sure you all have been waiting for (sorry for not starting it this chapter) and a Wyoming player has some very choice words for the Fighting Irish. See ya!_**

**Oh, before I go, any Texas/Michigan fansor anyone else who took offense to the jokes in the coach's collection of quotes, please remember that this is a fanfic after all, and one that's actually supposed to have a little comedy. So lighten up and leave those flames in the barbeque pit, please?**

**Why did I choose LSU? Because it's everything 'Bama isn't, a Northerner's dream and Tulane's worst nightmare...BDB**


End file.
